AUSTRALASIAN-BASED STARS JOIN NIGERIA’S PUSH FOR RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP BERTH

By: Gyang Dakwo

Nigeria’s women’s rugby league team has received a major boost with three Australasian-based players set to join the Green Falcons for the Women’s World Series in Canada this October.

Shondell Akhabue, Annique Oyinlola and Catherine Akeje have been named by assistant coach Luke Shearman, who is also the Nigerian Rugby League Association’s representative in Australia and New Zealand.

Nigeria will face Ireland in a semi-final at Terry Fox Stadium in Brampton on October 21, and the winner will meet either Canada or Fiji in the final on October 26 for a place at the 2026 World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Akhabue, 23, is a former New South Wales under-18 representative who has played for the Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers. She says it would be special to represent Nigeria and use her experience to inspire others.

Oyinlola, 20, is part of the Wests Tigers Harvey Norman Premiership squad, while Akeje, 21, previously played in the Tarsha Gale Cup for St George Dragons after moving from Nigeria to Australia in 2016. Both players say wearing the Nigerian jersey would be a proud moment for their families.

The Green Falcons will hold a training camp in Nigeria and play warm-up matches against Ghana before heading to Canada. Off the field, the Nigerian Rugby League Association has also secured support from Alaro City in Lagos to build a facility that can host international matches.

Shearman says the mix of homegrown talent and heritage players shows Nigeria’s growing role in African rugby league. “If rugby league is going to grow in Africa, Nigeria is where it starts,” he said.